


What?!

by GreyTabbyCat



Category: Forever (TV)
Genre: Drabble, Gen, Medicine, Some angst, and comfort, foreverdrabbles19
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-19
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-06-03 05:58:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6599419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreyTabbyCat/pseuds/GreyTabbyCat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Henry receives some news he's always dreaded...</p>
<p>Written for the Forever Drabble Challenge Week Nineteen prompt Medicine</p>
            </blockquote>





	What?!

**Author's Note:**

> The small drabble idea I had somehow got a life of its own and morphed into this... *sighs* *shakes head*

Yellow crime scene tape cordoning off an alley was visible from a block away. It marked Henry and Jo’s destination. Jo parked the car as close as possible which still was a good ways away. 

“Hey!” Hanson greeted them as they approached the alley. “Vic’s behind the dumpster over there,” he motioned vaguely behind his back. “But what took you so long?” 

“Henry was too engrossed in some of his findings,” she gave Henry a pointed look and he knew he might get an earful later – depending on how fast they’d close this one. At this point Henry thought it wise to conveniently wander over to the body and start on his preliminary exam. 

Jo continued to talk with Hanson – now work-related – before she came over to peer quite literally over Henry’s shoulder. 

“Find anything?” 

“It appears like the victim has been strangled, stabbed, and hit over the head with a blunt object. Not necessarily in that order though.” 

“Wow, talk about overkill.” 

“It certainly looks like a passionate crime and one that…” 

The ringing of Jo’s phone interrupted Henry’s explanations though and effectively silenced him. 

“Hello?” Jo straightened and took a few steps away from the body, turning her back to Henry. “Lucas?” She asked after finally identifying the rambling voice on the other end as Henry’s assistant. Her face was scrunched up as she tried and failed to make sense of what he was telling her. “Lucas, slow down! Take a deep breath and start again. I can’t follow anything you’re saying!” 

She waited semi-patiently while Lucas silently worked on getting his facts straight – or that’s what she hoped he was doing anyway. When he came back on the line he sounded a bit more collected and Jo sighed in relief. 

“Yes, of course he’s here,” she told him and the momentary relief was gone in an instant. _Lucas should have known that. What’s going on?_ Jo listened for a bit, her brow furrowed as Lucas’ speech got more and more rambly again. 

“What?! What … what happened?” Lucas’ articulation deteriorated fast again and Jo only understood a word here and there. “Of course. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he gets there.” 

Jo’s hands shook slightly when she pocketed her phone again. She took a deep breath before turning around to face her partner. _How in the world can I relate such news to him?_

Henry was still crouched next to the body, but his attention was solely on her now. His eyebrow raised, a dozen questions running through his mind. Once he noticed her pale complexion, he was by her side in the blink of an eye. 

“Jo? What’s wrong? What happened?” 

“Henry,” she swallowed thickly, “it’s Abe. He’s in the hospital.”

“What?” All colour drained from his face. “I need to…” He frantically made to leave and Jo had trouble catching up. 

“Of course you do,” she told him when she had finally fallen into step beside him. “Come on, I’ll drive you.” 

+++++++++++

In the hospital parking lot Jo had barely stopped the car when Henry was already jumping out and making his way towards the entrance doors. 

The drive had been uneasy and anxious. Henry had been silently fidgeting in his seat and Jo hadn’t known what to say to him. She desperately wanted to tell him that everything would be okay. But what if it wouldn’t? 

Lucas hadn’t been given any more information than the bare minimum and she would absolutely not lie to Henry. She knew all too well what that felt like, people telling you it would be alright when you knew it would never be again. She absolutely refused to become one of them. 

“I’m looking for Abraham. He was brought in a little while ago.” Henry was at the reception desk speaking with a nurse when Jo finally caught up with him again.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I need some more information.” The nurse was not too impressed with his description.

“But he’s my s- roommate.” In his worry he only caught himself just in time and Jo was reminded once again what Abe really meant to Henry. Her heart went out to her friend. She could only imagine what it must feel like for him to be standing here right now, how painful this situation had to be for him. She reached out and laid a hand on his arm.

Henry looked down to where she was touching him for a second. Then, he fixed the nurse again. “My name’s Dr. Henry Morgan. I’m on file as his next of kin. Please, can you tell me what happened or where I can find Abraham or his doctor?” 

Now satisfied, she tapped a few keys and scrolled through something on her computer screen. “He’s a couple floors up in room 310, but…” But that was as far as she got because Henry was moving again.

Instead of waiting for the elevator, he took the stairs two at a time; Jo always hot on his heels. 

+++++++++++

His hand on the door knob to room 310 he suddenly stopped. The only thing still moving rapidly was his heart. Was he really ready to face whatever it was that lay behind this door? Every possible worst case scenario was running through his mind and with his experiences and profession one was more horrible than the next. 

Beside him, Jo reached out in quiet support once more and lightly squeezed his fingers. She nodded at him once, then turned the knob and nudged him forward softly. How did he ever deserve this woman in his life? Hesitantly, Henry entered the room, still unsure what he would find there.

“Hey pops! You look like you should be in this bed, not me.”

“Abraham!” Henry exclaimed, rushing over to his son’s bedside and embracing him tightly.

“Hey, hey, it’s ok.” Abe patted his father’s back awkwardly. “Henry. Henry! Hey, I can’t breathe!” 

“Oh yeah, sorry.” He let go at once. “What happened?” Henry looked Abe over from head to toe, gaze halting at the bandages that covered his left knee and wrapped around his head. Now empty-handed he began fussing over his son, checking the bandages, neatly tucking in the flimsy hospital blanket, fluffing the pillows… Abe threw Jo – who had been silently watching from just inside the door – a pleading look. 

A small smile on her face, she walked over and put a hand on Henry’s shoulder. “It’s okay. He’s okay,” she murmured reassuringly. Henry’s fingers stilled mid-air. He took a deep breath and blinked a couple of times. 

“Yes, sorry.” He shook his head and retracted his hands, rubbing his palms against his trousers. “But … what happened?” 

“Oh, I had a customer. Wanted to show him that 18th century jewellery box, you know, the one I had upstairs to fix, as a present for his daughter’s wedding. And I must have somehow slipped and fell down the last couple stairs. Bumped my knee, but didn’t damage the box.”

“Abraham, you are far more valuable than anything we could ever have in the shop!” Henry’s voice was filled with affection and tiny spark of scolding, now that he knew Abe was at least conscious. “And whatever happened to your head?” 

“Well, I might have a slight concussion too. Didn’t quite stick the landing and bumped my head as well,” he admitted meekly. 

“Oh, Abe!” The worry etched itself into Henry’s face again. 

“I’m fine, dad, or I will be. And they are only keeping me overnight ‘cause they think I’m old.” He rolled his eyes. 

Still, Henry was unimpressed. He checked Abe’s medical chart. He needed to see with his own eyes that his son would indeed be just fine. 

+++++++++++

Soon after a nurse kicked Henry and Jo out, claiming that the patient had to rest and visiting hours on this floor would be over soon anyway. Both Henry and Jo hugged Abe goodbye, relieved that it had all gone relatively lightly. 

Outside, Henry slumped against the wall, drained. He took a couple deep breaths. “God,” he sighed, resting the back of his head against the wall too, closing his eyes for a moment. 

Jo rested a hand on his arm again and in one swift move he had encased her in his arms, holding on tight to her and the last scraps of his composure. 

“He’s still my little boy, my baby,” he croaked. 

“I know,” Jo murmured, patting his back. “Tell me what you need right now.” 

Henry let go of her and looked into her eyes. “I think right now I need to distract myself from all of this with work,” he admitted. 

“Okay, we can do that. Let’s go work on that vic then.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry I hurt Abe! At least it was nothing permanent or too bad, right? Right?


End file.
